The Yobe State Police Command has uncovered an illegal firearms fabrication workshop in Potiskum Local Government Area and arrested seven suspected gunmakers during a raid on the facility.
The suspects were apprehended on Monday at a blacksmith workshop located at Tasha Adua along Danchuwa Road in Potiskum.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim.
“The Yobe State Police Command has recorded another significant breakthrough in its sustained efforts to combat crime and criminality across the state,” the statement said.
According to Abdulkarim, operatives of the Potiskum Area Command, working in collaboration with officers of the Divisional Police Headquarters, carried out the operation following credible intelligence on the illegal fabrication of firearms in the area.
The police spokesman said the suspects were arrested at the workshop, where several items believed to be used in the production of weapons were recovered.
Items seized during the operation included two fabricated pistols, 24 muzzle pipes, nine gun butts, four unserviceable Dane guns, a filing machine and a cutlass.
“The operation was carried out following credible intelligence on the activities of some blacksmiths engaged in the illegal fabrication of firearms,” Abdulkarim stated.
He said the suspects remain in police custody and are assisting investigators in efforts to identify possible collaborators, buyers and the intended use of the weapons.
Abdulkarim added that the Commissioner of Police, Usman Kanfani Jibrin, had directed an expanded investigation to uncover other illegal firearms fabrication centres and assess the security risks associated with their activities.
The police also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or activities to security agencies.
